Young and foolish
by wolfypuppypiles
Summary: Mac once told Bozer about the closest he ever came to dying on a mission. This is it.
1. Chapter 1

Another bullet ripped through the wall, right next to MacGyver, making him flinch as Jack returned fire.

"Have you found the bomb yet? Cause there's only five minutes left on the clock." Riley's worried voice came through the coms, and Jack replied as he shot back at the terrorists.

"Well, they could have been bluffing when they said they activated it. Maybe they just wanted to scare us?"

Mac pulled Jack back from the corner of the wall they were hiding behind, as another barrage of bullets fired their way.

"I don't think terrorists bluff, Jack. Riley, we know where it is, we just have to get past a few people to get to it."

"Well, hurry up. We don't have much time and the police can't evacuate the whole building with so little time. There are thousands of people in there."

Jack ducked down to reload his gun as he grumbled. "Yeah, thanks for the extra pressure, Riley. We know how serious this is, we don't need your commentary."

Macgyver looked around, knowing they were quickly running out of ammo and needed an alternate route.

"Shut up, Jack. I think I know a way around."

Jack turned to the younger man and lifted his gun.

"Well, hurry up then, I'm almost out of ammo!"

As it turns out, Mac's brilliant idea was to use the vents, which Jack did not like given his size. But it got them around the terrorists and to the bomb. The room they were keeping the bomb in was heavily fortified, with guards posted at the door, as well as a pile of weapons for defending their plan. Jack took them out from the vents and took as much ammo as he liked, when they jumped down. MacGyver was less happy; the bomb was big and complicated. They had about two minutes left on the clock and he would need almost all of that time to disarm it.

"Jack, you got incoming."

Jack posted himself at the door, with a table for cover, to take out the guys trying to kill him while Mac did his thing.

And MacGyver was usually very good with bombs, but it's a little hard to concentrate when you're bleeding out.

Mac leant over the bomb and reached in a hand to inspect it further, when something ripped through him. He let out an involuntary cry and stumbled, falling against the crate the bomb was in. His mind was white with pain as Jack's voice came, worried but distracted.

"You okay, kid?!"

MacGyver looked down at his side, where blood was quickly blooming through his shirt. He cursed and pressed a hand to it as he replied.

"Yeah, I'm good. The bombs just…bigger than I thought."

Jack seemed to buy the excuse, mostly because he still had four guys shooting at him.

"Okay, well get to it. We don't have much time left."

Mac nodded and quickly grabbed the sheet that had been used to cover the bomb, and ripped it into the crappiest bandages ever. He balled a piece up and pressed it to the wound, wrapping another strip around his waist and tying it tight, biting his lip to stop from making any noise through the pain. He knew it wouldn't stop the bleeding very much but it was something and he didn't have time for anything else.

The hot pain of the bullet threatened to cloud his mind, but he'd been in tough spots before and he knew he needed to compartmentalize. Ignore everything but the bomb. His old CO's voice came to his mind, gruff and authoritative.

"You're in a warzone with an armed bomb, what do you do?"

Mac's breath came in shallow pants as he remembered his answer.

"Focus on what can kill you now, deal with everything else later."

"And what can kill you now?"

"The bomb."

"Then get to it soldier!"

His side screamed in pain but Mac got to his feet and got back to the bomb, ignoring the feeling of blood spreading over his skin, and soaking his shirt. He didn't even have time to check for an exit wound, but he knew if he had one, the bomb would have blown. That meant that the bullet was still inside him and for now, that was advantage. He wasn't so sure about later but he didn't have any longer to worry about it.

The clock was counting down and everyone in the building was counting on him to save them. He had been trained to disarm bombs, had done it a hundred times before. He could do this.

Jack was firing off shot after shot, filling the room with noise as MacGyver tried to concentrate. He never liked guns but he had grown used to the noise in his many years of experience with them.

He took a deep breath and cleared everything from his mind until all there was only the bomb and how to disarm it. His fingers were clumsier than usual, slippery with his own blood, but he ignored the red smears on the wires and kept going, hearing Riley give updates on the coms.

"They've got reinforcements coming your way. They really don't want you disarming that bomb. You have disarmed it, haven't you? Clocks down to less than a minute."

Mac gave a short answer and tried to ignore how hard it was to breathe.

"Almost there. Can you send back up for us?"

"Yeah, but its gonna take a few minutes."

Jack fired another round of bullets as he chimed in. "I can hold them off till then, just send them. Mac, keep going."

MacGyver tried, but it was getting harder to ignore the pain. It was burning, tearing pain, that stabbed its way through his concentration. Not to mention the blood that was quickly soaking through his shirt and down his side. He could feel it dripping onto the floor but didn't have the extra hands to put pressure on it.

His head was growing light and it was getting harder to breathe, every inhale whistling through his teeth as his, now, shaking fingers pulled at some wires.

When he finally got the bomb disarmed, the clock pausing on the flashing red numbers, he heaved a sigh and let his weak legs drop him to the floor, sitting against the crate as he panted.

"Bombs, disarmed."

Riley sighed with relief, fingers still tapping over her keyboard.

"And with twenty seconds to spare, good job, Mac. Jack, you still good?"

MacGyver had almost forgotten about their other problem, and mentally groaned as Jack answered.

"Yeah, but their buddies just arrived and I can't hold them off on my own. We're gonna need that back up. Mac, you got any bright ideas?"

Angus was finding it hard to just breathe, but he needed to help jack. The terrorists would kill him faster than the bullet would so he'd concentrate on that first. He grunted out a yes, and looked around the room once more, head clumsily filling with ideas.

It was so hard to think and he pressed a hand to his side, wincing as the pain became sharper.

He attempted to lee his voice steady as he spoke but jack was too busy to notice anyway.

"Yeah, I think I can make a grenade or two with pieces from the bomb."

Jack ducked back behind the table. "Well get to it then."

He was already so tired and he knew it would hurt to move again but he sucked in as deep a breath as he could and attempted to get to his feet.

The room tipped and spun but he gripped the edge of the crate and hauled himself up, biting back a groan of pain. He took a moment to breathe once standing before pulling his pocket knife back out and pulling materials from the bomb.

He'd have to be careful but he really only needed the wires, he'd use other, less sensitive, explosive components from the bottles of cleaning supplies around him to make the rest of the grenade. He was just lucky they were in the supplies cupboard of the hotel they were shooting up.

His legs were getting seriously wobbly so he slumped back to the ground to make his mini bombs, trying to keep one hand on his side when he could. There was way too much blood on the floor now. And he was shivering with cold. He was going into shock and he knew it.

By the time, he'd finished building the grenades, he could barely move his arms so he just rolled them over to jack.

Jack swore as he took the grenades off the ground, too preoccupied to look in his partners direction.

"Damn mac, be careful with these."

Mac blinked his tired eyes as he watched jack throw the first grenade, cheering as it blew up in the hallway where he threw it. Picking up the next one however, he paused. The grenade was covered in blood, and was staining his hands with it as he held it. He paused, confused before finally looking over at Angus who was falling asleep against the crate. Blood was soaked through his side and his jeans, forming a dangerously large puddle on the floor.

"Mac!"

Jack threw the last bomb, it bothering to see if it hit its mark as he sprinted over to his partner.

His heart pounded in his chest and his stomach dropped as he knelt beside his partner, hand flying to his com.

"Riley, I need an evac now! Macs been hit."

The hacker started tapping away again, voice small and scared as she replied.

"On their way, and backups just arrived. Is he okay?"

Mac barely reacted when jack stripped off his jacket and pressed it to the kid's side, voice shaking as he pressed his fingers to that pale throat.

"He's lost a lot of blood and his pulse is weak, I think he's going into shock. Mac, can you hear me? I need you to stay awake, buddy."

Angus' eyes were barely open but he tried to obey as he heaved in ragged breaths. His weak, blood soaked fingers, coming up to tug at Jacks hands.

"I know it hurts but I have to stop this bleeding. Damn kid, when were you hit?"

Mac opened his eyes enough to see Jacks worried face, and pointed to the ceiling where they'd jumped down from the vents.

"Dammit Mac! Why didn't you say anything?" He knew why, but that didn't make him any less scared. He'd been bleeding out for a good twenty minutes now and he was fading fast.

Jack had been in some bad spots but he was never so scared as when Mac got hurt. He wasn't just a friend, he was family, and more than that, he was a kid. He shouldn't be bleeding out on some dirty floor, away from any chance of help.

Jack's hands were slick with blood now, and he felt them shake as he pressed them to his partners wounded side.

"Just hold on, okay? We'll get you out of here."

Mac's eyes rolled a little in their sockets as he fought to stay conscious, breaths coming in gasps as he tried to speak.

"It's okay."

Jack's heart squeezed in his chest as he shook his head.

"No, Mac. I know what you're gonna say but just don't, all right? I'm getting you home so just be quiet."

The kid was insistent and squeezed Jacks hand weakly.

"It's okay, Jack. We saved everyone. You'll be okay."

Jacks lip started to wobble and his eyes grew blurry. He knew it was bad, he knew that if Mac fell asleep they would lose him, but he didn't want to accept that just yet.

"I know I will be because you will be too."

"Jack-"

"No, you aren't going anywhere, you hear me?"

MacGyver could feel himself grow cold, and he needed to say something even if Jack didn't want to hear it.

"Thanks for always being there for me. You've always taken care of me, and I need you to know that it isn't your fault okay?"

Jack just shook his head, throat clogged with emotion. He could hear back up arrive and take out the terrorists in the background, but all he could focus on was the blood still pouring from beneath his fingers.

"Can you look after Bozer for me? Just be there for each other." A sniff and a sob came through the coms and Jack almost let one out himself, at the knowledge that Riley could hear all of this. Her small voice came over the earpieces and Mac felt awful about her having to hear him die.

"Mac, just hang on, okay? The medics are almost there. You'll be okay. Don't leave."

He wished that he could stay, he didn't want to leave his family, but his vision was swirling and filling with black spots. He could barely see Jacks face as he continued to say his goodbyes. His words were slurred and he was running out of time.

"Hey Riley, you make sure Jack doesn't do anything stupid when I'm gone okay? And I know we don't say this very much, but I love you guys. You're my family and I wouldn't trade a second with you for the world."

Jack finally found his voice as Mac's eyes threatened to close.

"Stop it Mac, you are not dying on me! Keep those eyes open and keep your goodbyes 'cos I aint sayin 'em."

Riley sobbed again, voice cracking as she forced it through. "I love you too, Mac."

Jack cursed and pressed his hands tighter to his partner's side, panicking at the blood still coming.

"Shit, Mac, please. Just hang on, the medics are almost here. Why won't the blood stop?"

MacGyver managed to squeeze Jacks hand one last time before his vision faded and his chest seized. His heart was too tired and his body too cold. Jack started yelling as the kids eyes closed, the medics arriving just as his chest stopped moving.

"Mac, don't you dare! Stay with me! Open your eyes! Mac!"

Riley was sobbing over the coms, seeing everything through a hacked security camera.

Medics poured into the room as tear finally fell from Jacks eyes. He was pushed away as the EMT's took over, and fell to the ground a few meters away, watching them work on his little brother. Because he was like a brother, sometimes a son to him, and he didn't know what he'd do if he lost him.


	2. Chapter 2

They intubated Mac on that dusty ground, and loaded him onto a back board and stretcher.

It was a blur of motion and screamed words that Jack didn't understand. He wasn't allowed in the ambulance with him. Jack couldn't move from his spot on the ground, he just sat and stared at the pool of blood on the ground while his hands shook in his lap.

The medics left with his partner but someone knelt beside Jack and gently took his arm.

"Hey, Dalton we need to clean up this area. Are you okay? How about we take you to the hospital with your boy huh?"

Jack shook himself from his stupor and nodded, accepting the help up and the ride to the hospital. Riley had turned off the coms to meet them there but he could still hear her crying. He hadn't just let down Mac he'd let her down too.

He felt numb almost, as if he couldn't hear anything and couldn't concentrate on anything but the memory of Mac's wet, laboured breathing and the way the medics had pulled him away. That kid was the most important thing Jack had in his life, and he let him down.

He looked down at his blood-stained hands and realized he was no longer in a car. He was in a hospital waiting room and someone was offering him a clean shirt and something to wipe his hands on. He hadn't noticed the stains over his clothes but he'd have to change if Riley was going to see him.

That poor girl had been through enough.

Jack took a deep breath as he washed his hands, watching the red turn to pink on the white cloth he'd been given. Riley was still just a kid, he needed to be strong for her. He'd been trained to be calm, to be a leader and that's what he would be for those kids.

He waited in the hall for a few more minutes until a shout came, and he turned in time to catch Riley in his arms. She sprinted towards him and slammed into his chest, crying into his new shirt.

"Jack! Is he okay? Is he alive?"

Jack hugged her and rubbed his hand over her shaking back. He honestly didn't know if their friend was alive, he certainly hadn't looked it when he'd been wheeled away, pale and unresponsive with a tube down his throat. But Riley didn't need to know that.

"He'll be okay Ri. They'll take good care of him, you'll see. Come here."

She hugged him so tight he thought she may break one of his ribs, as her shaking arms and small sobs broke his heart. He pressed a kiss to her temple and just kept hugging her until she calmed down, feeling better for being able to hold someone too.

Once she let go he sat her in a chair and wrapped an arm around her shoulders so that they could wait for news together.

It took a while, a few hours to be exact, but a doctor finally came out and called for them. Jack carefully eased Riley off his shoulder, where she was beginning to wake up after her impromptu nap.

"Hey kiddo, I'm gonna talk to the doctor okay? You just wait here."

The girl nodded and rubbed her eyes as Jack stepped away with the doctor. He was restless and worried and skipped the pleasantries for what he needed to know.

"How is he?"

The doctor looked down at her notes, face serious and definitely not making Jack feel any better.

"He lost a lot of blood, I'm talking almost half his blood volume, so it was touch and go for a while. The bullet broke up inside, after hitting and breaking one of his ribs. One of the pieces did nick his right lung which is why we had to intubate and probably why he bled out so quickly. We've taken out the pieces of the bullet and stabilized him but he still isn't breathing on his own."

Jack nodded and wiped a hand over his face, trying to take everything in.

"Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "He does stand the risk of infection, given what he used for bandages but we already have him on a round of antibiotics. We will most likely be keeping him under for a little bit, to give him a chance to get a little stronger and for his lung to heal but yes, he should heal just fine."

Jack let out a sigh of relief as the doctor continued.

"However he will remain in intensive care for a little while, and this is a serious injury so you may want to call any family to come in."

Jack shook his head, looking back at Riley, to see her eager and worried face, before turning back to the doctor, begging for good news.

"I thought you said he was going to be fine."

She nodded but still looked so serious that Jack's chest felt heavy with worry again.

"He has a good chance of pulling through, but this is serious and complications can arise. We lost him twice on the operating table, Agent Dalton. So, if he has any family, you should call them."

She patted his arm and left, and Jack had so much information to sort through he could only concentrate on breathing.

'Be strong Dalton, that kid is tough. He'll be fine, now look after the other kid.'

Jack took a breath and straightened his shoulders before going back to the hacker waiting. She leant forward, on the edge of her seat, and twisted her fingers in worry.

"What did she say? Is he okay?"

Jack knelt down and took her hands in his, looking up at her with dread. He couldn't decide between giving her the truth or blind faith. Her huge brown eyes were so scared and he hated to worry her more, but he also knew how strong she was and how much she would hate being lied to. He sighed.

"He's alive but it was pretty bad so they're keeping an eye on him. That bullet messed him up pretty good."

Riley bit her lip and nodded before asking the question she'd been wanting to ask all night.

"Can we see him?"

Jack didn't think that would be a good idea. "He's pretty messed up right now Ri, I don't think you want to see that."

"I can handle it."

"He's got a breathing tube in and they're keeping him under until he gets stronger. I don't want you seeing him like that, and he wouldn't either."

Riley's eyes were so big and growing wet once more and Jack couldn't say no to her.

"Please, Jack. I just want to see if he's okay."

The agent sighed, admitting defeat. "Just let me go in first and see how bad it is and then I'll come out to get ya, okay?"

Riley leant forward and pulled Jack into a hug.

"Thank you. And for saving him."

Jack hugged the girl back before nodding and walking to Mac's room.

He had seen MacGyver bleed, and pass out as he was saying goodbye, so he'd seen bad, but this was different. Angus MacGyver was always moving and always thinking about something, and that smile of his could light up a room in even the wort of situations. But there he was, laying cold and unresponsive, covered in wires and bruises.

Jack bit his shaking lip at the tube down the kids throat, and he could barely move an inch closer, except he'd promised he would never leave him. So, with shuddering breath, he approached the bed and took those lax fingers in his hand, rubbing Mac's skin to try and warm him a little.

"I'm sorry I didn't protect you today. I didn't do my job and you got hurt. But I promise, I'll do everything I can to make sure it never happens again. And I know how strong you are so you just keep fighting and come back to us okay?" Jack sighed and sat in the chair beside the bed. He was so exhausted and his voice came quiet in the still room.

"You really scared us, Mac."

He knew that he wouldn't get a response, but it still made his chest ache a little bit. They'd saved him but they didn't have him back yet, and Jack hated waiting. Despite what his partner said about it not being his fault, Jack would, no doubt, blame himself for what happened. He should have been keeping a closer eye on him, should have called for backup sooner, should have never taken this job and got his heart torn out by this genius kid with the puppy eyes.

No, like Mac said, Jack would never trade a second with them for anything in the world. Even if he did look and feel about a year older after each mission. Although this time it felt like about ten.

He let out a tired breath as Mac's own chest rose and fell with the evenness of machinery, the pumps letting out a hiss of air as it breathed for him. Jack really didn't want Riley to see it.

Jack wished he could protect her from all of this. He'd had to come to terms with his own and Mac mortality a long time ago, but Riley had only ever seen the Mac that always had a plan and always got out alive. To her, Mac was indestructible and always came home no matter how bad the mission. Now she was faced with the reality that, every time the team went out on a mission, they ran the risk of never coming back. And he didn't want to do that to her.

He stalled for a just a little before patting his partners hand and promising to be back soon. Riley was still sitting in the waiting area but sprang to her feet when Jack came out. He waved her over and paused as they came to Mac's door.

"I need you to prepare yourself okay? There's a lot of equipment in there and it looks a little scary but it's there to help him."

Riley paused, seeing the genuine fear and concern in Jack's eyes. He was scared of what was in there, and there wasn't much that Jack was afraid of. But Jack was here with her and Mac needed them. She nodded, and Jack opened the door.

She sucked in a breath as soon as she saw him; he didn't look like Mac at all. The Mac she knew was smiley and protective, always moving and full of life. He was like a big brother to her, and now he was a shell. It looked as if he was nothing more than the ghost of MacGyver, kept alive with machinery and nothing else.

She stumbled back a little bit in fright at the sight of him and Jack quickly pressed a hand to her back, to keep her from retreating completely.

"Hey, now, everything's okay. I'm right here, nothin's gonna get ya. Say hello to Mackie."

Riley's hand reached behind her to take Jacks and he squeezed in reassurance as he led her to the bed. She had wanted to be strong but Mac looked like the dead bodies she'd had the misfortune of seeing on some of their missions. Her voice was not as stable as she had hoped.

"Hey, Mac."

She pointed to the tube coming from his mouth as her breath came in rapid pants.

"Is that-?"

Jack looked down at their friend and finished her thought.

"He's not breathing on his own just yet Ri. The bullet nicked his lung."

She watched Angus' chest rise in short, mechanical pumps. She knew what it meant.

"So, he's on life support." It wasn't a question but Jack nodded anyway. It meant it was bad.

Riley let out another shaky breath, feeling more panicked by the second. "We should call his family, they should be here."

Jack looked at her as she began backing away from the bed. "He only has us, no one knows where his dad is."

His heart broke once more as tears fell down her cheeks, her big eyes so overwhelmed she looked like a baby dear shaking on its new legs. "Bozer should know."

Jack started shaking his head but Riley kept going. "I know we can't tell him what we really do or what really happened, but Mac could die and Bozer needs to be here, he deserves to be able to say goodbye."

Jack gently took hold of her arms and leant down to look her in the eye before she spiralled anymore. "We can't Riley, it's for his own safety. And I'd give anything to not feel this pain I feel right now, the one you're feeling too. That pain deep in your chest that makes it feel like you're never going to breathe right again until you see that Macs okay. And knowing that it might not happen? I don't want him to feel that."

Riley's shoulders shook as she cried, nodding as she relented. Jack was right, she could barely handle the pain and she didn't want to do that to Bozer. Mac wouldn't want it either, he hated worrying people.

Jack pulled her into his arms and she cried into his shirt for the second time that day.


	3. Chapter 3

Riley jerked awake in her chair as a phone rang, shrill and annoying in the quiet room. She looked up to see Jack fussing over Mac and straightening his blankets, carefully rearranging his fingers on the new blanket he'd draped over him. He barely looked up as he thrust his chin towards his phone as it sat on the bedside table.

"Get that for me will you? I'm trying warm this kid up, he's still too damn cold from all that blood he lost."

Riley obliged and rubbed her eyes as she picked the buzzing phone up, freezing when she saw the name on the screen.

"It's Bozer." It had been three days since Mac had been shot and they had been supposed to be home by now. Bozer would be worried.

Jack paused in his pillow fluffing and gave her a sympathetic look. "Stick to the story okay? You can do it."

He'd already briefed her on the typical excuse they used for when missions ran long and she wasn't happy about it but she would lie to Bozer to keep him safe.

She answered the phone begore the ringing woke up everyone in the ward. Bozer's voice came through, annoyed and slightly too loud with worry.

"Jack! Why the hell isn't Mac picking up his phone?"

Riley looked toward the bedside table, and the draws that held Mac's clothes from the last mission, and all the items he'd had on him at the time. Including his phone, watch, and pocket knife.

She swallowed and tried not to look at Mac as she answered, knowing that seeing his pale face would only make it harder to lie.

"Bozer, it's me. Jack's busy right now."

There was a pause of surprise, before his voice came again, with more sweetness in his tone.

"Oh, well hello Riley, how's my future girlfriend?"

Riley rolled her eyes but smiled. Bozer's regular banter made it easier to lie and made her feel calm in a way she never thought could be brought on by the over eager film maker.

"Non-existent?"

She could practically feel the face he made through the phone and she laughed lightly at his sarcastic tone.

"Ha ha, that's hilarious. I'll win you over some day. But, seriously why isn't Mac answering his phone? You were all supposed to be home an hour ago, I was gonna make his favourite for lunch ."

Riley really didn't want to lie, but Bozer already sounded worried and she knew how much he worried about his best friend already, she didn't want him to feel the same horrid jolt of grief that she did when she saw Mac in that hospital bed. She did her best to keep her voice relaxed, as Jack watched her carefully from his chair beside Mac.

"Yeah, sorry the boss extended the work trip and we aren't gonna be home for a little while. Might be another few weeks. And you know how Mac is when he gets into a project. He hasn't taken his eyes off his work all day and he doesn't want to be disturbed."

Bozer let out a disgruntled snort, knowing exactly how Mac was when he got into a project.

"What are you working on anyway? And what's that beeping in the background? Are you in a hospital?"

Riley almost choked as her eyes widened in panic. She turned to Jack and pointed to the machines surrounding Mac, mouthing to him as she covered the phone with her hand.

'He can hear the machines!'

Jack looked panicked too and shrugged, mouthing back. 'Well, it's not like we can turn them off! Make up an excuse.'

Riley wanted to thump him for how unhelpful he was being, and went back to the phone, stumbling over an excuse.

"Uhh, no…no we're just working on something. It's a new project. We're… trying to make a new heart monitor that you don't need wires for."

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping he would buy it. He sounded suspicious but didn't push for anything more about it.

"Huh, I think I saw an article about that somewhere, which I didn't read. Well, fine just tell Mac to call me when he takes a break and make sure he eats something otherwise he'll just forget."

Riley almost sighed with relief before she realized how suspicious that would sound, and decided to play it cool.

"Okay sure, Bozer. I'll tell him and Jack and I will make sure he takes a break. You just take care of yourself, we'll see you in a few weeks."

Bozer sighed, clearly disappointed his friends would not be coming home yet.

"Yeah you too. Bye Riley."

The hacker deflated as she hung up. She had really missed Bozer over the past few days and now she was back to staring at Mac's unconscious form and listening to the machines keep him alive. That and Jacks non-stop rambling.

"It's better this way, Ri. Now he won't be worried, and everyone is safe."

She nodded grumpily as she tossed the phone onto the bedside table and sat back in her chair at Mac's side. She took his cold hand once more and rubbed a thumb over his pale skin.

"I know, but I still hate it."

Jack nodded. "I know, kid. Me too."

Neither of them wanted to leave their team mate and friend for a second and so they were both there when Mac finally woke up. The doctors had been reducing his sedatives slowly to try and wake him enough to wean him off the ventilator, but of course Angus MacGyver never did anything by halves and woke up all at once.

One moment he was laying still and quiet, and the next he was twitching, frowning as his fingers twisted weakly in his blankets.

Jack noticed immediately and jumped from his chair, giving Riley a fright.

"Mac? Can you hear me?"

MacGyver frowned again, face screwing up around the vent as he tried to claw his way to consciousness. His hands gripped at his blankets as he began tossing his head a little on the pillow, becoming slowly more aware of the pain in his side and the tube in his throat.

Riley came to his side to take on of his hands as Jack tried to talk to him again.

"Come on, kid, wake up. Open your eyes for me, Mackie."

Waking up from a three day nap is a lot easier said than done, however, and MacGyver quickly became panicked as his drug fogged brain told him he was choking on the ventilator. Riley gasped in fright as Mac ripped his hand from her hold to claw at the wires on his chest, his other coming up to tear the tube from his throat as he bit down on the plastic.

Jack's quick instincts kicked in and he slammed a hand on the call button for the nurse, before taking Mac's hand and trying to pry it from the tube.

"I can't let you do that, Mac. It's there to help, but they'll take it out soon. Hey, come on, Mac look at me. I'm right here, you're safe. I won't let anything hurt you, just let go of the tube."

MacGyver couldn't hear anything over the sound of his own choking as he tried to breathe, and Jack cursed and he tried to shake Riley out of her shock.

"Riley! Grab his arm."

She shook herself and quickly took Angus' other arm, trying to pull his fingers from the wires he was ripping off.

The nurses came in when he started kicking, making the whole bed shake, and Jack tried to distract him as they administered a shot of sedatives into his IV.

"Shhh, Mac. It's okay, just relax. Just relax, everything's okay, I'm here. I'm right here, Mac. I'm not leavin' you."

The choking noises finally stopped and his eyes rolled beneath his lids as his muscles relaxed. The nurses quickly reattached all the wires and adjusted the vent as their patient slipped back into sleep. The vent was beeping in irritation but Mac's, previously seizing chest, was rising and falling steadily once again.

Jack sighed as he placed the kids hands back on the blanket, his shoulders sagging in exhaustion as he stroked Mac's hair back, still whispering reassurances.

"Everything's okay, your safe. I'm staying right here, you just rest."

Riley didn't know how Jack stayed so strong through everything. She was still terrified and left shaking after seeing her friend choke on the thing that was keeping him alive. Having to hold Mac down as he choked and suffocated was not something she ever wanted to do again but Jack just pressed a kiss to the now sleeping blonde's forehead and took Riley's arm to lead her from the room.

"Come on, they need to check his stitches and take the tube out. We can wait outside." Riley followed, knowing Jack didn't even like to be two meters away from Angus, and decided not to give him any trouble.

Jack had been strong for all of them for the past few days and she figured it was her turn to be the strong one. He rubbed a hand over his face, looking utterly exhausted, and Riley took his hand, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"He'll be okay."

Jack nodded and kissed the top of her head, grateful for the support she offered. Mac would be okay, he always was, and Jack would make sure of it.


	4. Chapter 4

The last time Mac had woken up, he'd been choking on something, and hadn't been able to get it out before he'd been held down and lost to the darkness again. He remembered the way the thing in his throat felt, the hands that pressed his arms down, and that voice calling out to him. It had been his life line as he sank into the depths of unconsciousness, and he heard it again as he came back to the surface.

"I'm tellin' you she was the cutest little thing, twelve years old with huge eyes and an even bigger attitude, I mean, you know how she is. So, I take her Mom out for dinner and Riley gives me that look and tells me I have by ten to drop her off and if she wasn't on time and wearing a smile, she'd unleash hell.

So, I follow the rules, you know me, I'm a perfect gentleman. Plus, even at that age she was scary. But this one night we got stuck in traffic and, well, we lost track of time in my car outside the house." Jack cleared his throat conspirationally and kept going as Mac used his voice as a tether to drag himself up from the depths of sleep.

"So, I get her mom back twenty minutes behind schedule and there Riley is, waiting at the door with a furious look on her face. I swear I thought she was gonna knock my teeth out, but her mom was smiling so big and she took my hand as we came inside so Riley just said goodnight and went to bed.

She's always been an amazing kid, and she made me promise to take care of you while she went back to the motel to shower and sleep, so don't make her comeback to find you still sleeping. I hate that glare she gives me."

Jack's voice was tinged with fondness, and sounded much clearer than before. Mac could feel a lot more now, like the pain in his side and his throat, and the aching weight of drugs in his system. He turned his head on the pillow, groaning as he searched for Jack.

The voice came back, eager, and excited. "Mac? You with me, buddy?"

MacGyver was confused and disoriented, limbs heavy and slow as he pulled an arm up to reach for the nasal cannula providing him with oxygen.

Jack allowed those clumsy fingers to tangle with the tube, only because he knew the kid was just making sure it wasn't the invasive intubation it was before. He watched the boy genius's eyes scrunch shut as he tried to wake up all the way, and gently held his wrist to make sure he wouldn't be pulling anything out.

"You're okay, buddy. Leave that in, it's there to help you."

Mac opened his eyes, squinting them shut against the harsh lights above, and tried to talk through the dryness of his throat.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You're all good, brother, let me get you something for that throat. You've gotta be pretty sore, they only took the tube out yesterday and you put up a hell of a fight."

MacGyver continued to blink, trying to clear his vision, till Jack came back from the other side of the room with some ice chips. He carefully spooned them into Mac's mouth and waited till that sweet relief ran down Mac's throat, allowing him to talk.

"I'm not dead?" He was genuinely surprised. In fact, he vaguely remembered saying goodbye to his team.

Jack's face turned serious, putting the cup down with careful anger. His voice was calm and withdrawn, like the sea sucking in its water before a tsunami.

"No, but you gave it your best shot."

Mac almost didn't want to say anything else. He could see the restless anger that made Jack's fists curl and uncurl, and the set of his mouth like he was chewing on the sour words he was about to spit out.

But Mac knew that leaving it for longer would be worse. His voice was quiet and afraid. "Are you mad at me?"

The reaction was immediate. Jack's face turned towards him and it was as if seeing him, laying in the bed, eyes wide and worried, was enough to melt Jack's anger into grief. His words were hard but his eyes betrayed the tears that desperately wanted to fall.

"Don't you _ever_ say goodbye like that again, you hear me?"

MacGyver looked down at his lap at the tremors in his partner's voice. "I'm sorry."

Jack kept going, trying so hard to stay mad as he paced the length of the bed.

"How could you just give up on me Mac? Just leave me here without you?"

Mac looked up at him and it was like those blue eyes broke the dam. Jack surged forward and wrapped a hand around the back of the kids neck, pulling him gently in for a hug. His arms wrapped around him, holding his friend close as he tried to speak through the lump in his throat.

"I'm not losing you kid, so if you wanna say something, you wanna say goodbye, you do it now, when everyone's together and safe."

Mac pulled his arms up to hug the man back, feeling awful for how badly Jack felt.

"I never gave up, Jack. But I meant everything I said."

Jack nodded, hugging him still. "I love you, Mac."

"I love you too, Jack. Thanks for saving me."

Jack released him and took the chair next to his bed as he wiped a hand down his face.

"Gotta take care of you, that's my job, right? And hey, I'm sorry for yellin' at you but you really scared me back there. I really thought I'd be bringing you home in a pine box and that just doesn't sit right with me. I'm dying way before you. I'll go out saving the president and you'll die in your sleep at the ripe old age of a hundred and three, you understand?"

Mac smiled and laughed as much as he could without popping his stitches.

"Okay, Jack."

The drugs still running through his system made it hard to stay awake and Mac's eyes were getting heavy. Jack stood to tuck the blankets around his friend, pulling them higher on Mac's chest and with the kid already losing the battle with the drugs, he swept a hand through Mac's hair, brushing it back from his forehead.

The kid hummed a little at the touch and Jack smiled. "Good night, Mac. I'll be here when you wake up."

This wasn't the same oppressing darkness as before, this was warm and safe and MacGyver sank into it with pleasure.

He wasn't sure how long he was asleep for but the net thing he knew, he was hearing footsteps echoing down a hallway and Jack talking to someone.

"Hey, hey, easy Ri. Be gentle with him, he's still hurting."

Then Riley's voice came, eager and excited. "He's awake?"

Mac opened his eyes to see Riley sprinting into the room with a huge smile, and launched herself at his bed. He managed to raise his arms in time to catch her as she hugged him, with surprising care compared to how she barrelled into the room.

Jack was hovering nearby, ready to pull her back at the slightest hint of pain from Mac but the kid was smiling as he hugged his team mate back.

"You're awake! I leave for thirty minutes and you wake up without me here? Are you okay? Oh my god, I'm so glad you're awake."

Mac smiled but coughed as he wrapped an arm around his chest as it protested. Jack gently pulled Riley back, wincing in sympathy as he came to adjust Mac's pillows.

"Not all at once, little lady, give the man some room to breathe."

Riley gave them both an apologetic smile as she played with her hands. "Sorry, you just really scared us."

MacGyver mirrored Riley's apologetic look as he nodded. "I know, I'm sorry."

She came to sit on the edge of his bed and took his hand on hers, looking happy again that he was sitting up and talking. She'd hated seeing him so lifeless before.

"It's all okay, if you're okay. You should call Bozer though, he's been really worried."

The heart monitor hooked up to Mac started beeping erratically, making Jack look up, worried.

"What? You told him?!" Jack put a hand on his shoulder as the kid momentarily freaked out. Bozer worried over so many little things that he didn't even want to imagine how he would react if he knew he'd been shot.

Riley jumped in to clarify, holding up a hand in surrender.

"No, of course not! I told him you're busy on a project and didn't want to be disturbed. But it's been almost a week since he's heard from you and he's starting to get suspicious."

Mac sighed in relief and rubbed a careful hand over his face, ignoring the way Jack's hands leapt forward when he thought the IV might be displaced.

Riley handed him a phone and squeezed his hand before excusing herself to the other end of the room, tugging Jack with her. It wasn't much for privacy but Mac had to admit he didn't want them to leave him just yet, and knew they had to be feeling the same.

Mac dialled and waited, feeling more nervous than he usually was for a mission, but smiled when his best friend picked up.

"Riley, what's up? How's Mac's project going? Is he still too busy to talk to me?"

Mac winced at the irritated tone. "Hey Boze."

"Mac! I haven't heard from you in five days, what the hell have you been doing that you couldn't call your best friend? I know your works important but you have to take a break sometime. Are you okay?"

Mac played with the pulse ox clip on his finger as he spoke, unable to stop the smile that spread over his face at the sound of his friend yelling at him. He thought he'd never hear it again.

"I'm okay, buddy, sorry I didn't call but you know how I can be when I get stuck into a project."

Bozer didn't seem to buy it completely, still sounding concerned.

"Are you sure you're okay? You sound a little rough, and I really was worried when you refused to pick up."

Mac cleared his throat and rubbed at his tired eyes as he spoke, hoping to convince his friend to stop worrying.

"Yeah, I'm good. It's probably just a cold or something."

"Well, that's what happens when you work too hard. You need to get more sleep and take a break every few hours. Have you been eating, right? Never mind, I'll just make you you're favourite when you get home."

Mac laughed a little at his friend being such a mother hen. He was worse than Jack. But then his big head got in the way of things and reminded him that he'd almost died, and Jack would have had to break the news to his friend. He'd said goodbye to Riley and Jack but what did Bozer get? A lie to cover up how he really died?

He felt suddenly awful and he was so tired that he didn't stop to think about what he was saying.

"Hey Bozer, you know you're like a brother to me, right? You know I love you."

Jack looked over from his side of the room, worried about the turn of the conversation. Bozer seemed just as confused.

"Yeah, I know, I love you too Mac. What's going on, you're scaring me."

Mac would blame it on the drugs later but he started to choke up a little, and Jack quickly came over and took the phone.

"Hey Bozer, nah, everything's good my man. He's had some of that cough syrup, the one that makes you all loopy. Yeah, I'll take care of him and we'll all be back in a few days. No, problemo, bye."

Riley came and put a hand on Mac's shoulder as he started to sniffle and wipe at his eyes. Jack hung up the phone and looked down at him worriedly.

"What's wrong, Mac? Hey, look at me, what's the matter?"

Mac tried to stop the tears but the drugs in his system made him so tired and confused and he didn't have a handle on his emotions.

"You know I don't want to leave you guys, and I'd never want to hurt you. I'm sorry I made you so sad. I didn't mean to."

Jack tutted and sat on the edge of the bed so that he could pull the kid in for a hug.

"Oh buddy, we know. It's okay, everything's all right now."

Mac's voice was muffled as his face was pressed to Jacks neck, but Riley could hear the tears in his voice and rubbed a hand over her friend's shoulder as Jack rubbed his back.

"You were mad at me. I didn't mean to give up, Jack."

Jack sighed and pulled him closer. This damn kid was breaking his heart.

"I was just scared, Mac. You know how I can get when you're hurt. I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Jack resisted the urge to ruffle that blonde hair, and instead, laid Mac back down and tucked him in.

"You just need some rest, you're okay. Lie down."

Mac sniffed and wiped his eyes, looking tired as ever, but didn't close his eyes until he'd caught Riley and Jack's hands in his. This was something he never would have done if he weren't so out of it but neither of them minded.

He sounded like a scared child as he asked. "You're going to stay, right? I don't like hospitals."

Jack sat down and squeezed his hand as he nodded.

"I know, Mac, we won't leave. Close your eyes."

He did as he was told and sighed as he fell back asleep.

Riley looked down at her team mate and carefully brushed the hair from his eyes. "He's gonna be okay, right?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, he'll be fine, don't you worry."


	5. Chapter 5

Once Mac had healed as much as he could, they were all sent back home to a very happy Bozer, and given some time off work.

Mac still had to be careful about his bullet wound, and he'd be hiding it from Bozer for a while, but he was just glad to see his friends smiling face again.

Jack held their bags as Riley and Mac walked into the house, hearing Bozer coming a mile away.

"You're home! You're all here! God, I missed you guys. Come here."

Bozer pulled Mac into his embrace, not seeing the way the others tensed in worry at the thought of Bozer squeezing too hard. Mac bit down any noise of pain and instead hugged his friend back, genuinely glad to be in his best friends embrace again.

"We missed you too, Boze."

He was released, and Riley was pulled into a hug before Jack got the same treatment, and everyone was all smiles as they found the couch.

Bozer was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Okay, so you guys got time off work because of the extra-long project sooo…I got heaps of movies to watch and I made everyone's favourite for lunch. I also have some healing lemon and ginger tea for Mac since you still got that cold thing or whatever. Maybe you should have a nap too, you look worn out."

Mac smiled and accepted Bozer's mother-henning as he was given blankets and the promised tea. He couldn't be mad or even annoyed, since he was still hiding the truth from him. He hated lying to him, but he didn't want to spoil that big smile that Bozer had.

Riley helped pull the blanket around him, knowing that the excessive movement would not be good for Mac, and gave him a sympathetic look as Bozer came back in with the tea.

"Okay, drink this and then there's some chicken soup later if you want it. Do you have fever? Jack, does he have a fever?"

He placed a hand on his friend's forehead as Mac sighed.

"No, Mom, I don't have a fever. But thank you for the tea. I'm fine."

Bozer stood and placed his hands on his hips as he barrowed his eyes at the blonde.

"I could do without the sass but you're welcome. And don't think I'm gonna let you do any work this week either, you've had enough of that for a while."

Jack nodded, giving Mac a pointed look. "Yeah, I've definitely had enough of that for a while. You take good care of him, Boze."

"You know I will."

True to his word, Bozer kept a close eye on his friend, as did Jack and Riley, since they were the only ones that actually knew what was wrong with the young agent. So, when Mac tried to go for a run or fix his motorbike, it was usually three pairs of hands that pulled him back to bed or the couch and insisted he take it easy.

"It's just one little run!"

Jack was pushing him back inside, having caught him trying to leave the house, as he was coming to check on him.

"Might I remind you how close you came to never running again? Go back inside before I tell Bozer you passed out or threw up."

Mac's eyes grew wide at how much worse the mother-henning would get if Bozer was told anything near that.

"You wouldn't."

Jack nodded and took Mac's shoulders, steering the man back inside.

"Oh, yes I will, mister. Now, go and take your meds and make sure that bandage is clean. I'm going to find Bozer and make you some breakfast."

It was a little frustrating to be so closely watched, with someone always making sure he was okay. But he knew why they did it, and he knew why he didn't mind as much as he should either.

He had lost most of his family at a young age, and now that he had a new one, he was happy to be smothered in the love they constantly gave him. One day, Bozer would know about what he really did, and there would be hell to pay for the lies he told, and the secrets he kept. But until then, he would take the chicken soups and the worried looks, because he knew he was simply lucky to be alive to appreciate it.

He really loved his family, and if he was mother-henned to death, at least he knew they loved him too.


End file.
